NCAA Midwest Regional at Dallas : Syracuse Breezes Past Bucknell

Derrick Coleman could have played, but the talent-rich Syracuse Orangemen didn’t need him Friday. They had Billy Owens.

Owens scored 27 points, the second-highest total ever for a Syracuse freshman, to lead the second-seeded Orangemen to a 104-81 victory over Bucknell in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Midwest Regional at Dallas.

Coleman, the starting center who has been bothered by back problems, warmed up but did not play.

Owens made 12 of 17 shots and three of six free throws. He also had 13 rebounds.

Seventh-ranked Syracuse (28-7) will meet Colorado State Sunday at Reunion Arena for the right to advance to next week’s regional semifinals in Minneapolis.

Owens, who had a high of 19 points in five games, scored 23 points in the first half as the Orangemen broke the game open. He finished only three points short of the Syracuse record for a freshman set by Dwayne (Pearl) Washington in 1983.

Mike Butts led the Bison (23-8) with 22 points.

Colorado State 68, Florida 46--The Rams’ game plan didn’t take the Gators by surprise, but the way the Rams executed it did.

Colorado State, which hadn’t played in the NCAA tournament in 20 years, made its outside shots and led all the way in beating the Gators.

Florida shot only 39% and was held to its lowest point total of the season.

Joel Tribelhorn scored 20 points, including four three-pointers, to lead Colorado State (23-9), which will meet Syracuse Sunday.

“We didn’t play nervous, and I thought we would,” Ram Coach Boyd Grant said. “After all, we hadn’t been in the NCAA in 20 years. But we were patient and we were smart.”

The 23 wins is the most in the school’s history.

Dwayne Schinztius had 14 points and eight rebounds for Florida (21-13).

Missouri 85, Creighton 69--Byron Irvin scored 25 points, and the sixth-seeded Tigers pulled away in the second half to eliminate the Blue Jays.

The Tigers (28-7) trailed, 39-37, at halftime and took the lead for good, 51-50, on Gary Leonard’s basket with 16:25 left.

Chad Gallagher scored 22 points for the Blue Jays (20-11).

Texas 76, Georgia Tech 70--Travis Mays scored 23 points, including five three-pointers, as the Longhorns beat the Yellow Jackets.

Texas (25-8) will play sixth-ranked Missouri Sunday.

Joey Wright and Alvin Heggs each scored 17 points for Texas, which was making its first NCAA tournament appearance in 10 years.

Georgia Tech (20-12) was led by Brian Oliver, who scored 24 points.

The Longhorns hit six three-point shots in the first half to take a 43-35 halftime lead.